The Republican journal., 1887-08-04
Going to Pieces.

DlSlNlEGRATION OF TIE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
FORMIDABLE RIVAL IN THE NEW FEDER-
ALTON.
The signs of the ,lisintegration of the Knights
OF Labor multiply. The order seems to be go
ing to pieces Very rapidly indeed. 4 letter
from Philadelphia. the headquarters of the
knights, to the New York sun, says
"A score of assemblies are lapsiny every
week, whole crafts are threatening to with
draw altogether. and no corresponding a,lli-
lions TO the membership are gained to make up
the losses. 1t is safe to say that the pai,l-up
membership of the order is not half rs large
now rs 1t was one year ago. The dssatisfac-
tlon Will! the present condition of things cN-
tends all over the country, and is nowhere
more plainly manifest than i'm this city, the
headquarters rs well as the cradle of the or
yanZatlon. The members are supremrlv in
different as to the welfare of the organization
They DO not pay their dues. They do not ell
force boycotts as they are urged to do. They
DO not respond to appeals for financial aid,
They ito not obey the mandates of their ycncr-
al officers, and, what is worse than al of them,
they cannot be awakened from the deep >Ium-
Der OF Indifference into which they have fall
en-
This rapid dry-roi is not confined to Philalcl-
phia, by any means. The order has met with
checks and discouragements in Massachusetts.
and in New lcrk. where District Assembly 40,
with its radical Home Club cabal, which has
done sOsmuch to set the knights going down
tloubtablc assembly itself This week district
Assembly no. which includes Rostnn .nI vast
crn and southern Massach,,sctts, viii hav. !, :.
quarterly convention at Fall River, and it will
have, beyond Il doubt, Il very serious state of
the shoemakcrs and ihc Ief,at Of tho Wnrl,.s.
ter county strikers to account for. and viii tLo
attention of workjnDmen ,l;rectoJ oli thrn,,"L
the State to a call for the or"anizntinm "f -
State branch of the new Federation of i ',hor
ut IL convention to be held in Boston on the asth
of next month.
This new organization is intended 70 s,,nnort
the Knights OF Labor. and nrrforn far nr,,on'
lied Labor the functions which. its nr,'nzors
believe. the knights of Labor ORDER has NOT
performeI. A feIeration Of TRADES mn;omS
each one Of which shall have .ntLor;tv nrnr
its affairs. but ali of which shall net tn"ribrr in
matters of common interest. IL likely IT, nam'
bers think. to prove n more srientiti,. so,nt;nn
of labor problems than A minolinw of Man nf
all trades and no trades Mt MI In M n,,;srr;mi.
nate organization. But the Knights Of .ahor
at its outset, was a very aIIurinw associntinn
1t promised to have tho cohrsiyn fare" thn
strong central power. the oljtrr,ton nf local
interests in n common nurnose. th,t morn
federation of unions could not have
The federation plan hn,l been tried with in.
different s,,rcess In mora conntr;ns ,h.m -" a,,n ~,
Uriah s. Stephens, the founder of thc KniShts
of Labor, believed that workinsmem should he
..cnroIled under one general heaI. as w. ,rc
controlled by one common law. thc law "f o,,r
necessities" His dream was one Of n,.oce and
reconciliation, and the constitution nroviIrI
for tho a,Jm;ys;on nf ovorvhoJ,. ;ntn H. -
cxcept oilers. iawvers ami iin,!or sellers Tna
central authority was to he contact and easily
exercised, but strictly limited hv n General
convention to meet twice wear. The system
Of intercommunlcation between the yarions
assemblies was carefully elaborated. and the
The Knights of Labor grew to astonishino
proportions. and for n time almost j. manic was
created among the purchasers of labor. who